Morning Brief: Friday March 18, 2016

Today’s Morning Brief is brought to you by the Canadian Pharmacists Association. From renewing prescriptions, delivering vaccinations, providing medication management services and prescribing for minor ailments and conditions, Canada’s pharmacists are doing more to provide solutions to our healthcare challenges.

iPolitics has learned that Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier could have to face a parliamentary committee to explain her agency’s controversial transfer of 155,000 Canadian banking records to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. NDP Revenue Critic Pierre-Luc Dusseault is asking Parliament’s Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics committee to hold hearings on the transfer and its impact for the privacy of Canadians. In the meantime, Dusseault wants the Canada Revenue Agency to halt the transfer of Canadian banking records to the IRS. Our Elizabeth Thompson has the story.

In Quebec, corruption charges have reached the highest political ranks, with word yesterday that former Deputy Premier Nathalie Normandeau in Jean Charest’s Liberal government was among the seven people arrested by the province’s anti-corruption squad. The charges stem from allegations that political financing and gifts were exchanged for lucrative government contracts. Premier Philippe Couillard tried to distance his government from the controversy and said it’s not a representation of the party he runs today. “It speaks to a different time, a different context. The party I lead now has exemplary practices in political financing.”

During last year’s federal election, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised that it would be the last election to use the first-past-the-post system. The goal was to table legislation reforming the system within 18 months, but we’re now five months in and it doesn’t appear much is happening yet. As BuzzFeed notes, an advisory board that will consult with Canadians doesn’t even exist yet. While the Opposition says the government is stalling so that it can kill proposals it doesn’t like, the Liberals insist they’re going to hit their deadline.

Still with the election, Trudeau talked yesterday about the moment in the campaign when victory came into sight. It was the day the New Democrats pledged to balance the budget in lieu of running deficits. Trudeau said he went home and told his wife: “I’m pretty sure we just won the election.”

It’s a decision that continues to cost Tom Mulcair as he tries to convince his party he deserves to lead them into the next election. Ahead of April’s leadership vote, there’s word he’s lost the support of the Niagara Regional Labour Council. “We feel, that under Thomas Mulcair, we’ve got the most right-wing leadership the NDP has had,” said Bruce Allan, vice president of the Council. Although the union only has 30 members, Allan expects other labour groups will join their calls for Mulcair to step aside. CTV’s Richard Madan has more.

Britain announced a tax on sugary drinks this week and although residents won’t have to swallow it until 2018, there are plenty on this side of the pond who also want to drink to the idea. Dr. Jan Hux of the Canadian Diabetes Association, said the move fuels the push for a tax here. “I do think there is a growing momentum,” she said, pointing to a recent Senate committee reportrecommending the government consider such a tax and other efforts. Her organization has called for a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks, alongside other policies, in a bid to lower sugar consumption and diabetes rates. Our Kyle Duggan has the details.

Late yesterday afternoon there were rumours rampant online that former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford had died. His office has since released a statement that he remains in hospital, fighting cancer with his family at his side.

Science Minister Kirsty Duncan announces the winner of the NSERC Science Promotion Award. She is joined by Dr. B. Mario Pinto, president of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

Finance Minister Bill Moreau has a pre-budget photo taken this morning at the Kiwanis Boys & Girls Club in Toronto.

Immigration Minister John McCallum speaks to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade.

Bernie Sanders says he won’t be asking for a recount in Missouri’s primary, which means Hillary Clinton swept all five states that voted Tuesday night. Although some absentee ballots still need to be rolled in, Clinton led Sanders by 1,531 votes. To “save the taxpayers of Missouri some money,” the Vermont senator won’t ask that they be counted again.

Just a few months ago Putin and Donald Trump were singing each other’s praises and offering up mutual admiration across the miles. Now it seems, the bromance is just a memory, having gone up in flames over a campaign ad. Perhaps it was never meant to last…after all, those are two pretty big egos to try and fit in one relationship.

Finally this morning, we don’t hear much from former Prime Minister Stephen Harper these days. But yesterday he took to Twitter to pay tribute to a friend who he’s always reminded of on St. Patrick’s Day.